Khadi

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A Khadi Overlord

A Khadi was an undead minion, made so by a gaijin ritual that removed the victim's heart and linked him to his master's. This secret magic was discovered by Iuchiban. The Bloodspeaker perfected the ritual and became immortal.

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They were abominations, corruptions of sahir, who practiced only pure magic borrowed from the jinn. Heartless were so called for the ritual that gave them their power, the Ceremony of the Hidden Heart. Used complex magic to retain their life long enough to cut their own heart free from their chest, and secured it within an iron box. So long as the heart remained thus contained, it continued to beat. So long as the heart continued to beat, it kept the soul within. The khadi continued to live. [1]

The Ceremony and its ritual was more spiritual than magical in nature. The master of the future Khadi placed a part of himself - her soul or magical essence - within the corpse he was attempting to raise, for a time. This was a very dangerous procedure, and if even a minor flaw was made, it could result in the utter destruction of the victim's body and soul, or the master own death. [2]

A khadi's initiation ceremony was a private ritual, only attended by an initiate, a witness, and the khadi conducting the ritual. The heart removal left no scars. [3] The ritual was included in the SenpetBook of the Dead. [2]

The Master and the Khadi would never die - not by age, or disease, or common violence. They had sustained immense damage and continued to walk among those whose blood still courses through their veins. Only by extreme magical intervention or failure during the ritual had they ever been truly destroyed. [2] If the body was dismembered, the head cut off, orr similar practices, then their immortal life served little purpose if they could do nothing. [1]

The Khadi (and their Master by extension) had acquired vast personal power. Each one of them ranked among the most resourceful sahir within the Burning Sands. Their enhanced ability with all things arcane enabled them to create a stranglehold upon the populace of Medinaat al-Salaam. [2] Powerful khadi mastered the soul transfer, and they possessed a target body at will. TIhe target's body became the khadi's new host body and the khadi's former body immediately died. A khadi usually chose to slowly alter the new body over time, making it gradually come to resemble his originaI body. If a khadi's body was damaged beyond repair, he could voluntarily chose to abandon the corpse and became a free-roaming spirit. [4]

The khadi became increasingly amoral the longer he was separated from his heart. Anyone who gained possession of the khadi's heart gained absolute and total control of the sorcerer, and could command him with a thought. If the heart was destroyed, the khadi immediately died. <[4]

The ritual required to create Khadi was taxing, and several times had threatened the souls of both Master and his charge. The Master had to remove his own heart would have to be removed, and stored within a magically sealed container, to be stilled between beats forever. The end result of this procedure was a magical automaton, capable of little original thought, yet a much higher degree of magical skill (or a marginal amount in those who had never displayed any in the first place). The bodies could remain mobile until the heart was removed, which needed to be done within an hour or two to prevent it from permanently grafting into the host. [2]

The first rituals made zombies without mind. The ritual was perfected to retain their minds allowing for a race of magically-endowed slaves to command. When it was achieved the first real Khadi walked the world. [2]

The hearts were usually placed in the mistycal Ivory Boxes. Nothing within an Ivory Box could ever be destroyed and that they could be enchanted by the tribal sahir to become sealed at the utterance of a single arcane word, never to be opened again without it. [2] The Khadi could not raise a hand against the holder of the box and must obey the orders of the wielder as well. [5]

The word Khadi originated from the Burning Sands, where the ritual was invented, and translated as "servant". Gaijin sorcerers made the ritual on their minions keeping the hearts hidden to retain control over them. [2] The Senpet were the first to figure out how to make khadi. [7] This ritual was also used by some Rokugani individuals. [3]

There were some magics which drew a price when they were used. They exacted a toll upon one's body, upon one's soul. For a khadi, this price was easily paid. The universe could attempt to exact whatever toll it liked upon them their body and soul remained safely out of reach. [1]

The Book of the Dead enhanced magical abilities of its recipients, but it had a drawback, a perverse effect. Within a year or two, side effects as mania, extreme possessive behavior, psychosis - even criminal insanity - could result from ideas spawned by the Book. Contrary or wicked thoughts and emotions became more prevalent, while hopeful or constructive ones were suppressed. In time, a person's darkest traits completely overwhelmed their senses of ethics or morality. Every Khadi faced this manner of distortion. Their human minds were guided by the dark hand of the Book until they become angry, hollow shells of their former selves, filled with rage, lust, or whatever other malignancies came from the emotions and vices they already possessed. Every Khadi, once he had been completely taken by the Book's influence, would become an uniquely extreme force, tailored by his own worst characteristics. [2]

One of the first non-Senpet khadi [12] was made by happenstance. Hanan Talibah, who later would became the Caliph, was burned out by a Merchant King's comments. The King was stubbed with fury by her, to be raised as a khadi after Hanan performed the first Ceremony in a non prepared way. [2]

In 1132 as the battles of the Shattering of the Jewel ended with the defeat of the Caliph and her henchmen, even the Senpet, Ivory Kingdoms Ruhmal worshippers, and city folk turned on the Khadi. [13] Eventually the Caliph had died and the Khadi sought refuge in the sewers of the city, fighting between them to become the new uncontested leader of all Khadi. [14] Others maintained their power in secret, retaining their wealth and power. Still others were reduced to transients, several of whom traveled to other places such as Rokugan or the Shadowlands. [15]